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SBP c07s02
Text Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat quietly together in an orchard, not talking much as they gazed down into a creek, side-by-side. The earth pony's roughed-up hat was discarded, and Rainbow was fidgeting back and forth, obviously not knowing what to say before Applejack glanced to the side and asked quietly: "So… you really don't see me as just some… tramp now?" "Nah. We… all make mistakes, AJ. I guess… I understand, in a weird way. It's a physical thing, right? And you were… I mean, you…" She stopped, looking at her quietly for a few moments, and then she asked finally, almost blurting it out: "Why don't you just go talk to Big Mac, anyway? It's… screw what everyone else thinks. If you love him, you love him. No big deal." "No big deal? Sugar cube, he's my brother!" Applejack retorted immediately, and the two glared at each other for a moment before she softened and glanced down, shaking her head quietly and murmuring: "Besides, I got… Apple Bloom to think about, too. What would it do to her… and worse yet, what if Big Mac said… was disgusted by it? What if he… he didn't…" She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly… and Rainbow Dash stepped up beside her, reaching up to nudge her muzzle upwards and meeting her eyes as she said quietly: "AJ… it hurts me to say this, but… I really wanna see you happy, and… you gotta at least try, otherwise… you're gonna be tortured like this forever. You're never gonna find closure, so you gotta at least try. Hell, I didn't think you were scared of anything…" "But I am, I'm real scared." Applejack murmured, closing her eyes and laughing faintly. "More scared than I've ever been, more scared than when we raced through the Everfree Forest to find the Elements of Harmony, more scared than when Discord tried to ruin our friendship and throw Equestria into chaos. Ain't it a sin, Rainbow? Ain't it wrong, on every level?" "Yeah, well, I want to be a guy. Ain't that even worse? At least you've got a lot of reasons to feel that way about Big Mac…" Rainbow Dash shook her head with a faint laugh, and Applejack swallowed a bit as she glanced up in surprise. "I mean, he's always… there, isn't he? And I know he does so much for you, and for your Granny… or watching Apple Bloom, or working all those acres of field by himself. He's been wonderful to you. He's big and strong and handsome… besides, since when do you care about sin and religion?" "Since… I dunno. I was brought up mostly by Granny, and Granny's always been the churchgoing sort, when she used to be able to go, anyway…" Applejack stopped, shaking her head slowly. "Maybe it's that, maybe it's just… bred into me, without me even knowing. Maybe I am scared of going to Hell for it, or maybe I'm just scared that if Big Mac says no, or I end up… disgusting him, driving him away… that'll be Hell, Rainbow." Rainbow smiled a little at her, closing her eyes and nodding silently… and Applejack studied her quietly as she lowered her head a bit, breathing softly. Then the female smiled faintly, the earth pony stepping forwards and nuzzling her quietly as she whispered: "I'm sorry." "No, it… don't be." Rainbow replied gruffly, shaking her head quickly before she looked up at Applejack quietly. "I want you to be happy. But I… I do… care… I mean, I really like… I… you're… special to me." She stopped, looking lamely at her, and then she shook her head quickly and laughed awkwardly, glancing off to the side. "Life's a pain, isn't it? I just wish… everything could work out right. Everything could be different. God, AJ, I'd do anything for you. I would. And I don't think there's… I don't think there's anything at all wrong with you." Applejack blushed quietly at this as Rainbow lowered her head, and then she slipped closer, pressing their flanks together as they rested side-by-side, Rainbow letting herself half-fall against the female as Applejack murmured: "And I don't think there's a thing wrong with you, Rainbow. We both just got unlucky, I guess… but… maybe if we keep moving down this long dark tunnel, we'll find some light somewhere, eventually. We… we always got each other, don't we?" "You'll always have me, AJ. Always." Rainbow murmured, closing her eyes and curling herself a bit closer… and the two smiled faintly as Applejack let her head rest overtop the blue Pegasus's, their eyes closing as they rested quietly, comfortably together. Finally, they parted, blushing a bit as they studied each other… and then Rainbow Dash smiled a little, saying quietly: "We better head back, right? Otherwise Twilight might start freaking out when things don't go according to plan." "She can be a little touchy 'bout that sort of thing, yeah, but at least she always means well." Applejack replied with a bit of a smile of her own, and the two climbed to their feet before they traded a short hug, the earth pony murmuring: "But we got all the time in the world afterwards to figure things out." For some reason, this gave Rainbow Dash the hope she wanted, as she gazed up softly at the beautiful female… and then Applejack picked up her hat and pushed it back onto her head, and she gestured to the Pegasus as she began to walk into the field, and Rainbow quickly followed after her with a smile. The walk back to the library felt too short, the two lingering for a moment outside to gaze at each other, and then trade a short embrace before they stepped inside… and found Twilight with Fluttershy cuddled up beside her on a cushion, gazing at her raptly as Pinkie Pie bounced happily on her other side, and Rarity stared in shock at the unicorn. "-can't see how you managed that!" "Oh, it's just a matter of accounting for the differentials in the equation…" Twilight glanced up, then smiled at Applejack and Rainbow Dash as the two entered, looking curiously at the four. "Glad to see you two made it back. Have you eaten yet? I'm sure I've got some food around here somewhere…" "I ain't too hungry, thanks. But what's all this, Rarity, you look like you just won the lottery or something." Applejack tilted her head curiously as Rainbow Dash walked forwards to stand by Pinkie Pie, watching as the female bounced up and down but otherwise contained her eccentric bounciness surprisingly well. Rarity glanced to Twilight, but the violet unicorn was already back writing, humming a little once more as her horn glowed and directed a quill expertly over the sheets, and the female replied warmly: "Twilight's working out a payment plan for me… I don't know how she did it, but she already reduced the payments I need for my boutique in half! I really… don't know what to say, it's like a miracle… I won't have to take out another loan, and if I get an extension I don't have to borrow money from anyone here-" "Oh shucks, Rarity, we ain't lending you the cash, we're giving it to you." Applejack said firmly, and Rarity blushed at this, looking surprised as the earth pony smiled at her and stepped forwards with a bit of a nod. "You're neat and ordered and gosh-darn perfect all the time but… I still like you, Rarity, and you're still my friend. I won't stand by with a friend even in a little bit of need and… it's a good use for some bad money. We'll get your debts paid off in full tomorrow so they don't start stacking up again. Would be a shame for Twilight to do all this work just to have you end up in debt again, after all." The ivory unicorn smiled a little… and then Twilight glanced up from the papers with a soft smile, saying quietly: "Well, Rarity's agreed to let me help her with some of her spending habits, too… and I already sent out some letters to Canterlot as well, to classmates who might be interested in buying a dress or two from Rarity's boutique. That way, after we pay off the initial bills, she'll have possible customers coming in to give her money she can put towards next months' bills… planning ahead is essential, after all." "Yes, well… if I was any good at dealing with the business aspect of the boutique, Twilight, I wouldn't have been so far in debt to begin with." Rarity replied, giving her a quietly-entertained look. "I'm a designer, not a mathematician." "Egghead." Rainbow Dash muttered, but it was good-natured, and Twilight only rolled her eyes amusedly before she laid the quill down and straightened up, gazing affectionately around at the group. They were gathered here again… they had shared their problems, their fears, their pains… and yet the feeling of their bond was tangibly-stronger for it. Twilight Sparkle gazed over her five friends, knowing they had many problems yet to face in the future… and yet she was confident they would rise to meet them all, as she asked quietly: "How's everyone doing?" "I feel… like the other-me's gone back into the darkness for now. I feel a lot safer, safer than I have in weeks." Pinkie Pie said warmly, nodding fervently as she looked back and forth. "And it's… hard to keep myself tied down a little more, but the fact that I know you guys aren't going to abandon me now… it makes me feel… it makes me feel a lot safer. It makes me feel like I don't have to push so hard and it makes everything easier." "I'm scared as hell, but I'm gonna talk to Big Mac tomorrow, when I get a chance to." Applejack stopped, glancing at Rainbow Dash and adding quietly: "And… I'd… really like it if you could come with me, Rainbow. And maybe you too, Twilight if… if you really ain't disgusted by me." "I'm not, Applejack. Not at all." Twilight said softly, gazing at her quietly, before she glanced at Rainbow Dash as the Pegasus blushed and nodded, pawing a hoof at the ground slowly. "Rainbow, I… I was thinking about when I gave Rarity wings. That was from a family of spells called 'polymorphic transfigurations.' If you're okay with it… I'd like to ask Princess Celestia if she can send any other spells along this line to me. I can't promise you anything… at most I can tell you that maybe I can make you for maybe a little while, I can… change your… you know. But I could let you experience that and if… if it really feels right to you… we'll figure out how to give you just what you need." Rainbow looked up with a deep blush, trembling a bit… but the others were gazing at her with kindness, with affection… and then Applejack wrapped one of her front legs around her shoulders and squeezed her gently, and she lowered her head and whispered: "Thank you, Twilight… and… thank all of you, you guys. Talking about this… it's really, really hard, and I thought that being here, with all you… knowing and… being open about it, it would hurt, it would… it scared me… but… now that we're here, it feels easier. Now that you're all… supporting me, I… geez, maybe I am a girl after all, I'm tearing up here…" She smiled weakly, then blushed deeper when Applejack kissed her cheek, before Twilight looked down at Fluttershy, who looked tenderly back up at her. "For the next little while, Fluttershy's going to stay here with me, too, so… I can help her through things a little. Of course, we appreciate visitors too." The shy Pegasus nodded, looking up at the unicorn with relief as she gazed back down affectionately: Fluttershy needed guidance and love, to understand she wasn't a failure, or worthless… and, despite the fact they were the same age, a figure in her life she could look up to and take care of her, and the Pegasus had immediately put Twilight in this role. And maybe it was her messiah complex, or maybe it was the fact that it was almost impossible to say no to Fluttershy's adorable, beautiful features… but the unicorn didn't mind at all. In fact… she liked it, probably more than it was healthy to admit. But it also wasn't exactly something Fluttershy wanted to advertise, so she would respect that too… she thought that Pinkie Pie knew, but as they had all learned, Pinkie was a lot sharper than she let on. Twilight looked back and forth over them all… and then she glanced to the side, a large piece of blank parchment pulling itself free as she said softly: "Well, then maybe you all can help me draft a letter to the Princess… I think she'd really be interested in this, and I think we've all found out… something important today. I know it seems childish sometimes… but ever since I learned what friendship was, and how important it is in a pony's life… I've really come to understand that it has a power and meaning all its own." The others glanced back and forth, not even Rainbow making a joke as they traded hesitant smiles and soft looks… and then Twilight closed her eyes for a moment as the quill floated into the air and dipped itself into the nearby inkwell before her violet irises opened, and she smiled as she said warmly, as the quill began to quickly write what she dictated: "Dear Princess Celestia… I am glad to inform you that today, my friends and I learned a very valuable lesson on the magic of friendship. It came from a multitude of very painful, very difficult lessons we all endured… but I know that all of us are so much stronger for it." She stopped, and Applejack glanced up with a smile, saying quietly: "We learned that sometimes, you gotta 'fess up to all your friends. That you gotta share what's on your mind, even if you're scared of losing them… but a real friend ain't never gonna turn their back on you in your time of need, and a real friend won't run away when you ask for help… even if it's help to make up for… awful mistakes you've made." "A real friend doesn't just help you achieve your dreams… they're there to help guide you, to stop you from doing anything silly, to comfort you when things go wrong, and to help you out of any holes you fall into or dig yourself. A real friend tells you what you need, and helps you get it… and doesn't let you chase what you want when they know it'll hurt you in the long run, hard as it is to stand up to someone you care about." Rarity continued calmly, flicking her mane with a soft smile across at Twilight. "A friend never doubts your worth… is always there for you. A friend makes sure that you know your own value, even when you doubt it yourself… and your friends will always stop you from doing anything that hurts yourself, whether it's physically or emotionally." Fluttershy said softly, gazing up tenderly at the violet unicorn. "No matter how you were raised, or what you've been forced to believe by others… a friend will show you that you have value." Pinkie Pie smiled softly at this, picking up easily in a warm voice: "And a real friend will reach out to you when you're in trouble… will show you that you don't have to act a certain way for them and all they expect from you, is that you be yourself. That even if you have problem controlling yourself or stopping yourself from doing certain things… they'll work with you to help you. They'll be patient with you, maybe even more patient than you might expect… and even if you don't always get along, they'll still try their hardest to fix what's bothering you." "Friends don't judge you, even when you say something really dumb or want something really weird… in fact, if you're honest with them, if you tell them you know it's right for you and explain yourself… you might be surprised to find out they'll reach out to you, to help you get that special something you've secretly always needed." Rainbow Dash added, gazing down at the floor, before her eyes roved up to look at Applejack as she smiled softly. "And you have to remember, most of all, that when you really care about someone… you can't selfishly hog 'em all to yourself. You gotta let the Pegasus fly if it wants to fly." Twilight looked over the group, her eyes warm as she took in the gathered ponies… and then she said quietly: "It's a sad truth in this world that no matter what, sometimes you can't save everyone. But if you stay true to your friends, and keep them by your side… you can at least always make sure to protect them as much as possible, and help them along the way. Signed, your student, Twilight Sparkle, and your humble subjects, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." The quill flicked as it finished signing their names… and then Twilight closed her eyes and smiled as the parchment rolled closed and she sealed this with a ribbon, saying softly: "Yeah. I think the Princess will find this letter to be just as important as I do. Thank you, everyone… for sharing with me. For helping each other. For helping me." Applejack looked up curiously at this as Pinkie Pie tilted her head, Rarity asking inquisitively: "Help you, darling? How so? Why, it feels more like you were the one who helped all of us today." But Twilight only smiled at this, gazing back and forth over them as she said softly: "Maybe. But without you all in my life… nothing would feel worthwhile or complete." And with that, she looked over them affectionately as her five friends gazed warmly back, six ponies gathered together, bound tightly forever in the bonds of harmony and friendship. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story